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The Blue Whale, a member of the balaenopteridae or Baleen whale genus (or Rorquals) of whales, is the most enormous creature ever to have lived. It is nearly 3 times larger than the biggest dinosaur, and the largest of the baleen whales.
The Blue whale can grow up to 32 metres or 100 feet and weigh up to 200 tonnes. It is however very streamlined, its girth being less than the Right whale.
The Blue whale’s coloring is primarily an indigo (blue) hue varying in shade from slate to a dark azure. Mottled pigmentation patterns on their back makes them even more distinguishable from one another. The edges of the Blue whale’s long pointy flippers are marked by white dappling and their baleen (huge fringed brushes that hang inside their mouths like giant sieves) are jet black. The snout is broad and flat, nestling into the lower jaw when the mouth is shut.
The preferred habitat of the Blue whale is the Arctic and Antarctic although it can be found in oceans worldwide. The Blue whale feeds on krill and requires up to 4 tonnes per day in the summer months. They migrate to the tropics to warm up for the mating season.
The baby Blue whale is as big as an elephant on the day it is born. It may be 8 metres (25 feet) long and weigh more than 2 tonnes. The baby Blue whale has no baleen plates when born and relies entirely on its mother’s milk which is very high in fat. Every day the growing baby drinks about 100 litres (175 pints) of milk and puts on another 90 kg (200 lbs). The baby Blue whale is born fully developed and immediately swims alongside the mother whale as soon as it is free from the womb. After six or seven months the baby Blue whale is weaned of its mother’s milk and is already 16m (54ft) long.
The Blue whale were hunted mercilessly in the southern oceans during whaling times and almost wiped out. They are on the endangered species list and have been protected since 1966.
Although the population of Blue whales has been seriously depleted by whaling, living blue whales may sometimes be encountered on whale watching cruises in the Gulf of Mexico and are the main attractions along the north shore of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and in the Saint Lawrence estuary.
Estimates of global population numbers of the Blue whale vary but as of 2007 it was estimated that there are currently around 5000- 8000 left in the oceans of the world. Conservation efforts for the Blue whale are ongoing.
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